Here we go again. First it was Phillip Linder. Then it was David Finn. Now Danny Clancy is the latest criminal defense lawyer to announce his plans to do the seemingly impossible: knock off incumbent District Attorney Craig Watkins.
The former Dallas County prosecutor and judge says he has been considering it since he heard Toby Shook decided against running himself for a second time against Watkins. Then Clancy received a call yesterday from Finn, who told him he wanted to spend time with his children. "I think David just jumped the gun a little bit," Clancy says.
Finn agrees that he made his announcement prematurely, and after a discussion with his four young children (ages 11, 9, 7 and 5), he realized he was being selfish. "I could tell that I was putting my desires ahead of their needs," he says.
Clancy stresses that he'll run a positive campaign, and the Dallas County District Attorney's Office needs a leader at the top who has his experience and ability to lead by example. Much like Finn, who is now supporting Clancy, he couldn't resist complimenting Watkins when asked about what he'd do differently, calling the Innocence Project a "blessing," saying Watkins has done an "outstanding" job of bringing the issue to the forefront and labeling it as "a credit to him and his administration."
However, he does say Watkins could do a better job of communicating with the commissioners court. "I honestly believe that Dallas County is tired of turning on the news and seeing our DA going toe-to-toe with our commissioners," he tells Unfair Park. "We would all be better served if we were all working together looking for solutions with budget issues instead of trying to beat each other up."
So, how long until Clancy's out and someone else is in? "I'm committed 110 percent," he says.
